22 years ago, Nashville’s Sam Powers (briefly in Superdrag and who played bass with Guided By Voices on the band’s 2003 European tour) recorded the six songs that comprise The Thousand Yard Stairs. He then promptly sat on them for reasons only he knows. After some gentle, repeated prompting from at least one friend, Powers has set the tunes free from captivity, and fans of melodic power pop should be thankful for him coming to his senses.
We kid Powers, a true Southern gentleman, but the EP—mellow in spots, rocking in others—is a joy. The opening “Riding Your Own Reflection” is two minutes and 30 seconds of perfect jangle. Beatlesque is a well-worn cliché (rightly so), but too bad; the closing “In Passing” fits the description. And on “A World Surrounded,” the John Davis/Superdrag influence is clear, and the track easily would’ve fit on one of that great outfit’s records. Apart from drums and some guitar on two songs, Powers plays all the instruments; one, “Waiting On A Holiday,” features GBV wizard Doug Gillard and is the highlight. Kicking off with its ultra-catchy chorus, it’s an anti-work anthem, and who can’t get behind that?
Rumor has it that Powers still has some songs in the vault, so stay tuned in 2048 for the sequel. We made all that up, but let’s hope we hear from him sooner than later. [The Thousand Yard Stairs]
—Matt Hickey
